Mercury vapor turbine



May 12, 1931. l..A TQJQNEs MERCURY VAPOR TURBINE Filed April 28, 1924 llllllllllllll I Illll llll llllllllllll IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII very com act form of mercu `als . `Patented Maly rATENi.; .oFF-lcs l:mmm Ir. Jonas, on ammi-enamorar; l'

" Y Macular varon runnin: y

i n .applis-anni mea Aprn es,

The present invention relates to mercur vapor `turbines of a compact form suitab e for driving air lanes, automobiles, etc.-

The object o my invention is to provide a -vapor tur-A bine that 1s readily transportab e and which uses a minimum amount of propelling Huid;

` For a verylong time it has been recognized that in general itis desirable, wherever poslsible, to: replace reciprocating by rotary enginas.` The comparative simplicity of the steam engine for automotive work is generally recognized, even though the steam engine be reciprocating, while thegas `engine has' been developed to such a remarkable degree that itsl performance is fairly satisfactory for automotive work yet it is'with only the utmost care in construction and careful hann dling in its operation that it is suilicientl reliable to provide a means for the propu sion of airplanes. While the comparative reliabilityof airplane engines is granted it is also well known that the further development of aviation is awaiting the production of a lighter, more reliable and more economical engine. i

.The uses to which this turbine may b'e put `are slightly different than the uses of the steam turbine. The chief advantage-of the 3 grou ing here arrangedl is that it becomes possible to 1have a readily trans ortable unit embodying both lightness in weight and reliability in erformance. The bla ing system used is neither new nor unique sincethe type of blading used is dictated by the speed at which it is to be run,-

the -va orlvelocities, the ower desired and other actors not all of w ich are under. the control of the designer, as is well known in the., art. Whether the turbine blading be such as to constitute an impulse, reaction or an impulse-reaction turbine is not considered a part of this invention since the type is dependent on the size of the turbine and the .use to which it is put.

This turbine is designated-as a mercuryvapor turbine thoughit is apparent that any other fluid ossessin suitable physical properties miglht be use equally well.

This invention is not deemed to depend in to re erred to in order to maintain part 9 sta- 1924.A .Serial No. 709,453.

any way on the manne-ref supplying the heat necessary to vaporize the pro elling fluid.

The most satis actory metho at? present, consists of an oil vaporized byan air stream the air stream also supplying the oxygen for combustion;

The operation of this turbine and the manner in which it diil'ers from others will be best understood by the following description taken in connection with 'the accompanying drawing. v

The shaft, 1, which carries the stationary blade system, 2, is held in the clamp, 3, so that it may not rotate; tem, 2, is held to the-shaft, '1; by a collar, 19, and a nut, 20. p The vaporization chamber, 4, and the condensation chamber, 5, together with the moving blade system, 6, constitute a rotor being provided at each end with shafts 22 and 23 from either of which power may be taken by the usual and well-known means in the art and as shown shaft 22 is provided with a propeller 24 for thispurpose. The blade system, 6, is rigidly attached by welding to the waist of the housing formed by the vaporization and condensation chambers. The mercury, 7 which lies in the position indicated when the turbine is operating is vaporized by a ame assing in through an opemng, 8, in the stat1onary part, 9, of the lire housing a U bracket 25 bein connected art 9 and to a bearing memberereinafter tionary.` The portion, 10, of the fire housing is lattached to the rotor. The fire housing is here arrangedso that the waist of the rotor containing theblading system, 2 and 6, may be warmed. The vent, 11, allows the burned gases to escape.

The condensation chamber, 5, is provided with metallic flanges, 18, to aid in the cooling.

The rotor is supported in the bearings, 12 and 13, which also act as thrust bearings. Near the vaporization chamber the krotor is provided with a series of radiating flanges, 14, to aid in keeping the bearing, 12', sufficiently cool and to cooperate with bearing 12 to take the end thrust of said rotor. A packing ring, 15, keeps mercury from escaping between the rotor. and the fixed shaft, 1. Two

The stationary blade syschannels, 16 and 17 communicate with the vaporization and condensation chambers respectively. By connecting thesech'annels to vacuum puncp and gauges the turbine may be evacuated and the pressures in the vaporiza- 1 tion and condensation chambers may be read while the turbine is operating. Vacuum gauges 26 and 26 are provided as diagrammatically shown, in the drawings, for purposes of determining pressuresin each of these chambers at their respective points of engagement with the passages 16, 17 .and vacuum pumps are substituted for said gauges when it is desired to evacuate the chambers.

The mercury is vaporized in the chamber, 4,` passes through the blading system, 2 and 6, into the chamber, 5, where it condenses and by centrifugal action is returned through the tubes, 21, to the vaporization chamber, 4. A difference in level of the liquid mercury just sufficient to balance the difference in pressure of the two chambers of the rotor is automatically-maintained.

Let o" be the radius of the rotor (containing the mercury) and W its angular velocity in radians per second. The mercury will be held against the periphery and uniformly distributed around the periphery by a speed such that . W2r=g where g .is the gravitational acceleration. In the design contemplated r=1.25 ft. Then W=5.07 radians per second which is equivalent to 48.5 R. P.

After the turbine is started the centrifugal action on the liquid mercury in the return conduits will be suiicient to maintain a suitable difference in pressure between the boiler chamber and the condenser chamber as the following calculation indicates.

The turbine is designed to run 'at 1800 R. P. M. The working temperatures of the boiler and condenser, 800o F. and 400 respectively, are such that a vapor-pressure difference of 45 lbs/in.2 will exist. The difference in level of the liquid mercury in the two chambers that is required to balance this pressure may now be calculated.

Letlr be the radius of the rotating liquid mercury, p the density of mercury and a the area (projected) of the small conduit in which the liquid mercury stands. Atthes ed W the `force due to a small length dr ofphe liquid in the tube will be:

R2 F: Pfl/W2 fdr Since this force is to balance the difference 1n pressure we may write v Integrating v is 1.25 ft. or 38 cm.v Since the pressure difvr/:60W dans per Second (180o R. r. M.) p=13.6 gms/cc. y lez-Pf3` lig/cm2 (45 lbs/m2) R1 is then found to be 37.8 cm. It is thus seen that a head of less than 1 cm. o f liquid mercury will balance the differenee 1n ressure that will be'experienced Vat the wor ng temperatures.

It is on the basis of this calculation that centrifugal return of the condensed mercury is contemplated. This difference in level 1s dependent upon the speed of rotation and the radius of the rotor aswell as upon the difference in pressure.

What I claim as vnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l. A rotary engine, including a rotor havinga condensation chamber, and a vaporization chamber, the latter of said chambers being of greater radius than the former, a turbine blade system in said rotor and means connect-ing said chambers so that condensed fluid in said condensation Vchamber is forced into said vaporization chamber by the centrif- .ugal action of said rotor in any orientat d position of said rotor.

` 2. In a rotary engine, a rotor having a condensation chamber and a vaporization chamber the latter of said chambers being of great-- er radius than the former, means for heating said vaporization chamber, a series of turbine blades in said rotor, a dividing partition between said chambers and a series of stator blades on said partition complemental to said first mentioned blades, and means connecting said chambers whereby the condensed iluid is returned b. centrifugal force to said vaporization cham er in any orientated position of said rotor.

3. In a rotary engine, a rotor including a vaporization chamber and a condensation chamber, a turbine blade system in said rotor, said chambers being so arranged that both vaporization and condensation of a'propelling viuid occur within said rotor, and means connecting said chambers and disposed longi-I tudinally thereof whereby the propelling fluid is returned from the low-pressure side of the system to the high pressure side by centrifugal force.

4. In combination with a vapor rotary engine having a turbine blade system, a vaporization chamber anda condensation chamber of means inter-connecting said chambers so that the propellin fluid is returned to said vaporization cham r by centrifugal force by the rotation of said rotor, meansl for heating said vaporization chamber, said means being adapted to heat vapor while passing through said blade system.

5. In a rotary engine, a rotor including a vaporization chamber and a condensation chamber, a turbine blade system in said rotor,

means for heating said vaporization chamber, -said chambers being so arranged that both vaporization and condensation of a propelling fluid occur within said rotor, and means connectin said chambers so that the propelling fluid isreturned to said vaporization chamber in an uninterrupted flow by centrifugal force due to the rotation of said rotor, said. means comprising a conduit disposed longitudinally of said rotor and having one end in communication with said condensation chamber and its other end with said vaporization chamber.

6. A rotary engine including a rotor having a vaporization chamber and a condensation chamber, the former of said chambers being of larger radius than the latter, a turbine blade system in said rotor, means for increasing the pressure in one chamber and decreas? ing the pressure in the other, and longitudinally extending means connecting said cham-A bers at substantially their radial extremities, whereby upon rotation of said rotor, a difference in level of the propelling Huid proportional to the difference in pressures of the two chambers is automatically maintained irrespective of the position of orientation of said rotor.

7 A rotor engine operated by mercury vapor, said engine comprising a condensation chamber and a vaporization chamber and impeller means interposed between and in longitudinal alignment with said condensation and l vaporzation chamber, said impeller means and vaporization and condensation chambers being rotatable as a unit, and one or more passageways extending from one chamber to the other and in communication therewith whereby said mercury is returnedby centrifugal force due to the rotation of said engine..

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of April, 1924.

LLOYD T. JONES.v 

